Psycho-Physical Exercise relieves Stress

These do not need to be difficult to perform, in fact most exercises I know and have used to relieve stress are very accessible to everyone without any particular prior level of expertise or even experience.

What is ‘psycho-physical’ exercise?

It usually involves body movement like most exercises with the difference that it affects the mind and emotions in a most beneficial way. Not that any other source of exercise do not benefit the body-mind as a whole, but the exercises that I favour are specially geared to enhance the well-being and healing of the whole system: body, mind, emotions.

What are these exercises?

I include all exercises that require us to put attention on the body sensations and the breath as well as on the actual physical movements.

These being master keys to this sort of process. So body movements, awareness of body sensations and watching the breath together integrate our experience, each aspect adding to and enhancing the others.

The movements themselves have the beneficial effects that we know from our normal experience, for example taking a walk after some tedious time spent on the computer!

But adding such inner awareness and watchfulness to the exercise, firstly brings the mind into the present moment, taking it away from distracting or troubling thoughts, and then leads to a natural, effortless release of tension - tension held in both body and mind.

It is remarkably simple, but it has to be experienced to be appreciated.

You can’t appreciate an ice cream by reading about it!!

By also adding the attention on the breath, the breath itself, naturally deepens and that in itself calms the whole system, bringing more of our attention into the Here and Now.

As there is rarely a problem in the Here and Now, if you take away our remembering of the past and our anxious speculating on the future!

Such exercises can be Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga, some cathartic (emotionally expressive) methods where one stays in touch with the body, some relaxation techniques, some breathing exercises etc.

Using psycho-physical exercises (particularly cathartic methods) with the aim to release extreme pent-up energy from the body-mind can definitely help to let go of the knotted-up tension that prevents one thinking clearly or acting effectively. Therefore using them allows us to then be able to re-assess the situation in a clearer, more appropriate and creative way.

Francoise Bonhoure

http://www.success-with-stress.com

Francoise has found and enjoys finding ‘Unique Solutions to transform Stress into Well-Being’ and has started a weekly Newsfeed and a free Report ‘Stress Tips News’.

http://www.successwithstressnews.com